Suspect Arrested in 1997 Winnebago County Cold Case

WINNEBAGO COUNTY (WIFR) – It appears a 16-year-old Winnebago County cold case may have been solved with an arrest in Minnesota.

73-year-old John Bloomfield has been charged with murder in the strangling death of his wife Frances. John was a researcher at the University of Iowa back in September of 1997 when he reported his wife missing. The body of Frances Bloomfield was found 3 days later in a soybean field near Simpson Road, three miles south of Rockford.

Investigators believe John killed Frances at their Iowa City home and then dumped the body off on the way to Chicago.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.